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Faith Formation: Q’ Pasa?

Clergy gathering in Minneapolis, including Rev Audette, to bear witness to the community and say no to the cruelty of ICE. May their witness be heard and may they be safe.
Our community is preparing for a snowstorm. Please take safety precautions and reach out to each other, especially neighbors and friends that are living alone or may have health issues. Here is a resource from the Wren Fire Department with a helpful checklist.
The national scene continues to be a mess. I share with you this reflection that gave me hope and perspective. A reminder that we are not alone.

And Faith Formation at UU Avl persists amid the turmoil! Our Middle School family game night was fun! We are hoping to “grow” this event. Be on the lookout for the next game night.

Kim hosted a breakfast for our families with children K-2 and we had thirty attendees. It was a joyful, playful time. A small group populated the UUAvl table at this year’s MLK Breakfast. It was good to be in community and be inspired to stay focused on justice.

Adult Faith formation is sponsoring two programs:

UUA Common Read: Social Change Now!
The sessions will guide us in applying the teachings and practices of Social Change Now to activate, re-invigorate, and support social justice projects throughout our movement and all our common work for change. Listen to our UUA president Sofia Betancourt introduce this program.
When? March 23, 30 & April 6; 3-4:30 PM – Sandburg Hall
Facilitators: Bernise Lynch, Karen Vaughn, Mary Alm, Rev. Claudia
To register contact faithdev@uuasheville.org

Adult Our Whole Lives. An invitation to explore healthy sexuality as we age.
Rev. Claudia will be preaching about the importance of Our Whole Lives on Feb 1 as we explore the theme of Embodying Resilience.
When? 6-8 PM; Sanctuary · Feb 11: Sexuality & Values March 11: Attitudes About Aging April 8: Sexuality and Loss or Family Matters
Facilitator Team: Jill Preyer, Wilma Oman, Kelly Wedell, Rev. Claudia · To register please complete this form

Take care. Be safe. Care for each other.

Un abrazo,

Rev. Claudia Jiménez
Minister of Faith Formation

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Rose, bud, thorn. Do you know that check in practice? A common one in youth programming, it’s a way of sharing with the group something good, something prickly, and something ready to bloom in your life. My check in is about our high school teens at UU Asheville.

Rose: My heart is glowing after a full day and eve of winter retreat happenings for both of our youth groups this past Saturday.

The Coming of Agers defined UUism in Madlib form and in UU elevator speeches as an introduction to credo formation; completed a fun, mission-based scavenger hunt; tuned in to their inner selves in a labyrinth walk; and bonded with their mentors and peers – all as rich ways to grow in community and to explore their values, beliefs, and UU faith.

Our YRUU (Young Religious UU) youth group had a full day and evening too! They volunteered at First Presbyterian’s Saturday Sanctuary, dug into YRUU worship planning work, and also walked the labyrinth as a new spiritual practice.

Both groups had playful and spirited blended time together in the evening with games; conversation & competition; campfire & s’mores; and some older teens sharing pearls of wisdom with younger youth. It was truly a beautiful (double!) retreat and heartwarming to witness the growing bonds and support they freely give one another. 

Our UU Asheville teens are inspiring, playful, mature, funny, willing and helpful, spirited, serious… they are beautiful humans, and we are fortunate to have them in our community! We hope you will honor them and attend the upcoming winter and spring happenings involving our children & youth.

Buds: Upcoming events — all are invited and encouraged to attend! 

You’re invited to the Big Event! Get your tickets this week for an evening of dinner and entertainment on Saturday, January 24 at 5:30pm in Sandburg Hall. Get ready for a family-friendly evening of ENTERTAINMENT, TRIVIA, BAKED ZITI, and COMMUNITY, hosted by our youth families. They’ve assured us it will be fun! Tickets are sliding scale with suggested donation: adults $15-20, children $7-10, and family tickets are $40-50. Click here to purchase tickets in advance or buy them at the table in Sandburg Hall this Sunday. If you want child care for your littles under 8, contact Kimberly Mason ASAP at masonfab5@gmail.com. Funds raised will support the summer youth work trip to West Virginia. 

Save the date for the annual YRUU-led worship on Sunday, February 22. We hope you’ll join us for that special service!

As well as the…

• Faith Formation worship service: March 22.
• Coming of Age credo service: May 17. 

We are deeply grateful for the good UU adult guides who work with our youth! This year’s YRUU advisors: Jim Gamble, Margaret McAlister, Emily Pegram, Connie Silver, CoA facilitators: Allison Hardesty, Brett Johnson, Langdon Martin, Kelly Wedell. CoA mentors: Nancy Bragg, Allen Currens, Iris Hardin, Patrick Hester, Lisa Horak, Mike Horak, Tom House, Steve Lapointe, Sharon LeDuc, and Matt Reynolds. Thanks also to recent spiritual practice activity leaders: Joanne Fox, Gini Jones, and Fredda Mangel. Our youth programs thrive because of their dedicated and skilled time and energy.

Oh, and the thorn? A few youth couldn’t attend the retreat due to wrestling tourney, play performance, sickness, end of semester tests or missing the memo. That will happen but still a bummer they couldn’t be there and the group missed them. 

Thanks so much,

Jen Johnson

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I don’t know about you, but December life in a congregation is a little crazy. First, there are numerous additional and different activities and worship & social offerings. Then there’s the fact that many meetings have been moved up or around or possibly cancelled; others have workloads you’re desperately trying to finish up before the end of the year. Then, of course, there’s the holiday itself: shopping, wrapping, baking, cards and if you’re lucky, invitations of various kinds, plans and beds to be made up. The holiday comes, and it, too, can be a kind of whirlwind – schedules all askew, for wonderful or challenging or even lonely reasons.

The temptation, of course, is to have fun and then come back raring to go in the new year. But over these many years in ministry, I have found that if I do that, I can return to my congregation, my colleagues and my beloveds perhaps cheerful, but often just as spent and with no focus for the part of the year that needs a great deal of care, attention, and planning. Mid-year reviews; budget planning, long range planning, justice work and showing up fully present to people who are hurting, worried, struggling; each of these deserve my all.

That’s why, several years ago, I adopted the practice of resisting my most painful urges and to do a time of silence, reflection, prayer, reading and quiet thinking and planning. This allows me to resist a headlong fling back into work, becoming swept up – and away –  in the fast-moving energy that January and February plans in churches always bring. I can be more sure I’ve at least taken some time to reset my nervous system from anxious or overwhelmed to something more centered, so my footing in the fast-moving streams of life are more grounded. I want to be able to respond, rather than react. 

I’m on day two of mostly silence, and I am becoming more conscious of my anxiety, what is swirling and fretting me, my genuine concerns and sorrows I’ve left too long untended. Experience has now led me to trust that if I remain thoughtful and present, and allow things to arise, be observed, reflect and give some care to my own swollen, tender and broken heart, I may not be magically healed, but I will find a different way to hold all that is mine to hold. And by taking this time for myself, at a time when everyone is calling me back to the busy-ness of the world, I am trying to be able to bring a better self back with me – because you deserve that. 

I wish for you some quiet time, even in your day-to-day, to check in with your heart, see where you truly want to head, and to find new ways to bless the world. See you in church.

With love,

Rev. Audette

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As we look ahead to the new year, we wish you a 2026 filled with love, hope, laughter, and possibility.

Everything that happens at UUAvl happens because of you. Your time, talents, and commitment are the heart of this community, and we are deeply grateful for the way you welcomed Heath and me so warmly.

We are excited for what lies ahead and cannot wait to continue building, growing, and making more memories together in the year to come.

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UU Asheville has been moving through a period of deep soul-searching as we look to call a new lead minister.  As we embark upon Candidating Week here at UU Asheville, lean into the Koru, and relish in the excitement, hope, and infinite possibilities that await our congregation, and be curious and explore ideas and connections during this time of new beginnings. 

And, while the spiral in the northern lights was magnificent, its source was not…let it be a reminder that beauty is not always what it seems, and we must remain steadfast in our search for meaning and purpose.  

Wendy Motch-Ellis, Director of Administration

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There is also excitement at UU Asheville as you prepare to host ministerial candidate Rev. Audette, with a week full of activities, conversations, and shared meals. The schedule of events is shared weekly in the e-news.

There is excitement as our delegates prepare to attend General Assembly in Pittsburgh and represent our congregation in the association’s business meetings in June. Next month there will be a series exploring the proposed Article II changes and creating space for delegates to hear your feedback which will inform their vote. I hope you can join us.

And, we are also preparing for the congregational vote June 4 to adopt the 8^th Principle as a collective call to action to deepen our commitment to racial justice and collective liberation. This Sunday, April 16 after the Earth Day service there will be a panel and Q&A about this important vote.

There is excitement as our youth prepare to travel to Birmingham and Montgomery for a memorable and challenging racial justice learning experience. They are grateful for the congregation’s support of their fundraising events especially the Taco & Trivia night. I am honored to be one of the chaperones accompanying them on this trip. I look forward to learning together as well as getting to know our youth better.  I am also grateful for the work of our Religious Exploration staff who organized this trip and the many programs available to children and youth this year. They are already busy planning for next year and will begin recruiting facilitators soon.

There is so much happening in our community. How will you stay engaged and contribute to the new chapter in the story of UU Asheville?

With gratitude and anticipation,
Rev. Claudia Jimenez, Minister of Faith Development

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